Exclusive Interview: Diane Kruger on ‘The Bridge’

The star of “The Bridge” answers fan questions and keeps the mystery safe before talking about a few of her past and future films.

When I scored a one on one interview with Diane Kruger, I forgot to consider that “The Bridge” is a mystery show. Most of my questions are part of the mystery so she’s not going to give any of that away. Fortunately I am also a well versed in Kruger’s film career so I had some questions about films too, including the epic sci-fi art film Mr. Nobody and the upcoming young Lincoln movie The Green Blade Rises. First though, we talked about “The Bridge” including the first question suggested by the fans.

CraveOnline: Is the relationship you and Demian Bichir have on set at all similar to the relationship your characters have on the show?

Diane Kruger: [Laughs] No, not really although we joke and call him Mexicano when he’s late. No, no, not at all. I really appreciate him. He’s such a good guy. He’s very funny because a lot of the catering guys speak Spanish so he gets special food. They deliver it to his trailer in the morning. Everybody’s like, “Mr. Bichir” because he’s a huge star in Latin America. Whenever we shoot downtown L.A., it’s like Brad Pitt is in the streets. It’s very funny.

It could be different cultures of actors have different styles.

Well, I’m sure, we’re not the same people but no, we go about our work the same way, totally.

Movies still seem to be thriving for you, but was TV really desirable?

Cable was and is. I think you would be hard pressed to find any actor that wouldn’t want to be on a cable show right now. It’s a really exciting time when you have directors like David Fincher. The writing is so much better and they don’t make movies like that anymore.

Why do you think now is the time we’re seeing characters of detectives with social problems?

I have no idea, do we? Sonya, I saw the original show, so she’s the same as in that show. I don’t know, my guess is as good as yours.

In “Hannibal” they’ve really emphasized that part of Will Graham and embellished it from the books.

Oh gosh, maybe it’s more entertaining to watch.

In episode four, with the webcam of the woman in the desert, are you looking at a blank screen and they add the video later?

Mm-mm, no. We have it. They shot that first.

So what was it like reacting to that footage?

It’s like anything, you act. Obviously you know it’s fake so you do the best you can. In the original show, they had a homeless guy who was bleeding out slowly in some basement. We shoot a lot in the desert and it gets triple digits most every week, so just the imagination of someone being in the dead heat like that for more than a day is pretty jarring.

What other cases are coming up along the way in the next few episodes?

You’re going to have to watch. I’m not going to tell you that, but we’re hunting the serial killer so there’s going to be more seemingly unconnected killings and it feels like we’re trying to catch up really to him, to see what he’s going to do next. I feel like by episode six or so, we finally get to anticipate where the killer is going with this.

On the film side, I was a really big fan of Mr. Nobody and I’ve been telling everyone about it.

Aw, that’s so sweet.

When that script came to you, how did you process that?

Well, Jaco Van Dormael is a huge director in Europe, France in particular. He used to be a clown for real, that was his job. He took 10 years to write this script. He hadn’t worked in 10 years so it’s a very personal story for him. It was like one of those adventures that as an actor you just go, “Sure, I want to make this movie. For $2.50, I don’t care.” We’re still friends. I see him every time I’m in Belgium or in the perimeters. He’s the loveliest guy. It was so fun to make.

But did you “get” it?

Sure, yes. Well, I guess I had the director on hand to also tell me why we’re doing certain things, but to me I love movies like that. I’m not so literal when it comes to film. I like to be challenged a little bit.

Well, I get it and I believe it as literally as you can believe something so metaphysical, but yes, every choice we could have ever possibly made exists.

And none of them are wrong choices.

Did you shoot The Green Blade Rises already?

Mm hmm. I don’t know when it’s coming out. It’s just about finished I think. It is probably, just to look at, one of the most beautiful movies I’ve ever made. It’s black and white. It’s real film. Just for the look alone we should go see it. It’s as arthouse as they come, very in the line of Terrence Malick’s films but it’s just gorgeous. Really, I can’t gush about it enough. I was totally blown away when I saw it.

You describe it as a Terrence Malick film, is it that nonlinear or is there a story to it too?

Well, he produces it. There is a historical story to it. It’s very little dialogue but it’s very much, maybe also because it’s black and white, there’s very much this sense of the harsh times back then and how this young boy was so different in his family and how his father didn’t really quite know how to handle a boy that wanted to learn. They were farmers. He did not believe in education. He didn’t read himself or write himself, so he was initially very upset with his son for not being a tough farmboy. He was so different. What’s beautiful about that movie is it’s Abraham Lincoln’s story, but it could be any boy’s story who gets pushed in the right direction.